Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
rough, ruined by trucks serving the nearby titanium mines, but the scenery is spectacularly
barren.
Eighty-five kilometres north of Foum Zguid is
Tazenakht
, a handy stop for a quick bite,
coffee, petrol and, yes, carpets. The distinctive local carpets (a mix of flat-weave and
thick pile) with their extraordinary zigzagging patterns and bold colour schemes of red,
orange and blue, are hung all around town. You can skip the middlemen and browse fixed-
price pieces inside the government-run
Agence de L'Artisanat
(
7am-7pm)
, within a walled
compound on your right as you enter the town from the south.
More carpets await discovery 26km north in the village of
Anzal
at
Jemaite Tifawin Carpet
Cooperative
(Association of Light; 0642 59 29 80; carpet showroom 9am-noon & 2-6pm Mon-
Thu, studio open house 9am-5pm Sun)
. If you phone a week in advance, they'll happily organ-
ise a studio visit and show you how to create natural dyes and spin raw wool into yarn.
Approaching from the south, turn left at the sign for Khouzama in the centre of Anzal.
Sleeping & Eating
You'll find Foum Zguid's two hotels signposted east at the police checkpoint at the north-
ern entrance to the town.
Maison d'Hôtes Hiba
( 0615 72 72 82;
www.maisondhoteshiba.com
; GPS coordinates N° 30°07.549, W°006°52.411, Foum
Zguid; per person incl half board Dh220-250; )
A rock-studded guesthouse and restaurant
serving restorative meals of tajine, salad and fruit (Dh80) on the scenic terrace or in the
air-conditioned salon. Comfy grotto-style rooms have en-suite bathrooms making this a
welcome overnight stop after roughing it in the desert.
MAISON D'HÔTE
€
Bab Rimal
( 0524 39 41 95;
www.babrimal.com
;
GPS coordinates N 30°07.722, W 006°52.062, Foum Zguid; s/d/
ste incl half board Dh530/780/1460; )
A complex of faux-pisé cottages centred
around a large, flower-fringed pool. Standard rooms come with platform beds,
zellij
floor
tiles and Tazenakht carpets. More luxurious suites are housed in mini villas with double-
aspect windows and their own garden terraces. It's a popular lunch stop for tour groups,
who relish a few hours in the pool on the long drive south or north.
HOTEL
€€
Restaurant Chigaga
MOROCCAN
€
